Al Unser III, Al Unser Jr., Al Unser, Bobby Unser, Adam Andretti, Aldo Andretti, Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti, Indy Pro Series
The son also rises
Shawn Payne/IMS Photo
Shawn Payne/IMS Photo
WHAT’S
IN A NAME?
If you’re a racer with the last name of Andretti
or Unser, it can mean a lot – or nothing at all
By Tim Harms
n the last 50 years, seven Unsers and five
Andrettis have combined to make 119 starts
Iin
the Indianapolis 500. They’re not through.
The next generation from both families is set to
cut their teeth in the Indy Pro Series in 2008.
If Adam Andretti and Al Unser III feel
pressure to produce success similar to their
famous relatives, they certainly don’t show it.
“I think as a race car driver, if your last name
is Andretti, or if it’s Hornish, or if it’s
Castroneves, or whatever your last name is,
they all share a common thread,” says Andretti,
who is the nephew of 1969 Indianapolis 500
winner Mario Andretti and cousin of Andretti
Green Racing co-owner Michael. “They all
probably put more pressure on themselves to
win and perform, because that’s what they’re
there to do, than any name could put on them.”
“I always get that question,” says Unser, the
grandson of four-time Indy winner Al Unser,
son of two-time winner Al UnserJr. and grandnephew
of three-time winner Bobby Unser
38 IndyCarSeries 2007 winterspecial
“My answer is the same – ‘I’ve always been an
Unser. I don’t what it’s like any other way.’
“It doesn’t transform into pressure for me,
but more of a desire to do well. If any pressure
gets to me, it’s the pressure I put on myself. It
doesn’t come from anything else other than
my will of wanting to do well.”
Both have learned the hard way that having
the right last name doesn’t automatically
translate into sponsorship or fully funded rides.
Andretti, who will turn 29 in March, hasn’t
competed in a full season of racing since 2002.
Unser, 25, turned in his last full campaign –
split between two series – in 2004.
“[The last name] creates opportunities with
sponsorship – people want to see me,” says
Unser. “I might not be running in the top five,
but they’ll still show my car every now and then.
“But, at the same time, I need to
perform. I need to do well. If I don’t, they
dismiss me a little bit quicker than someone
who’s just starting out. You’re going to have
Al Unser III – “Just
Al,” please (No.
12 below) – is
following in father
and two-time
Indy 500 winner
Al Unser Jr.’s
footsteps
Phillip Abbott/LAT
To view a Ceros magazine you need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser and have the flash player 8 or higher installed. To install the latest flash player, click the icon above, install the flash plugin and then click here to refresh this page.